Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fans for moving air in occupied enclosures and the like, and is especially concerned with a fan of this nature which can be tilted or rotated about a horizontal axis so as to direct the air therefrom in different directions.
Portable fans for ventilating purposes, or for the purposes of merely moving air within an enclosure are known and quite often take the form of a support base on which the fan structure is mounted. Some of these fans are of the oscillating type and the fan moves back and forth on the support base, while others do not oscillate but are tiltable about a substantially horizontal axis on the support base.
The fans according to the prior art have involved certain expensive and cumbersome structures, particularly in respect of supporting the electric drive motor and the air impeller which support has been by a supporting member or by a connection to a spiral or ring guard construction. The drive motor is a rather heavy part of the fan structure. Heretofore, it has been thought desirable to connect the fan motor to the supporting base or to the spiral and/or ring guard in some manner in order to provide adequate support for the fan motor. This has led to certain operations in connection with the construction of the fan which are objectionable.
With the foregoing in mind, it is an object of the present invention to provide a ventilating or air circulating fan structure of the nature referred to in which the drawbacks that attended fan structures according to the prior art are avoided.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a fan structure of the nature referred to having an electric motor driving an air impeller and a guard surrounding the fan in which the motor is supported by radial members in the guard structure, while the guard structure is, in turn, connected to a supporting base.
A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a high velocity type fan for moving air in which the guard is formed of substantially radial members that can be manufactured by automated equipment.